Improvement in tin cans



J. C. HGWARD.

'LIN-GANS.

v Patented Jan. so, 18'117.

ATTORNEYS,

N- PEIERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C4 UNITED STATES PATENT i,orrron JOHN C. HOWARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.-

IMPROVEMENT IN TIN CANS.

Speciiication formingpart of Letters `Patent No. 186,840, dated January30, 1877 application filed December 30, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. HOWARDfof Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Cans5 and'I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had to'the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification,and to vthe letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation ofacentral vertical sectionof my can, and Fig.

- 2 is a detail view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are posed of an under and anupper plaie, which are separated by a bowl-shaped piece, .re-

cessed at the edges, as and for the purpose described.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l shows the upper part of one of mymeat-cans, A, provided with a-cover, B, which is depressed below theupper edge ot' said can, and secured thereto by a raised peripheralflange, b, which is bent over upon the said edge, so as to clasp thesame.A The said cover is provided with a large central opening, B', forthe insertion ot' the' contents ot' the can, and with an annular groove,b1, which is concentric with said opening B', and V-shaped incross-section, so as to leave an inclined rim, b2, around the saidopening.

C designates a iiat spring-metal disk, to the center of which is rigidlysecured a bowlshaped separatingpiece, D, which is constructed withrecesses or scallops d d around its edge. Said parts C and D togetherconstitute a vent-guard. (Shown in detail in Fig. 2.) When the can ispacked full, the said ventguard is forced in at veut or opening B, withplate or disk C against the surface of the,

meat. The scalloped edge oi' bowl-shaped piece D will then standslightly above cover upon rim, b2 ot'opening B.

B, so that it will require to be forced down in putting on the cap-pieceE. During this operation disk or plate C keeps said bowlshaped piece Din its proper position, and also prevents, to some extent, the meat frombeing' crowded up about the opening or vent B. Said cap E is providedwith a downwardly and outwardly inclined circumferential liange or rime, which sets into groove b1, and Said cap may also be provided with acentral aperture, c', closed b v a small detachable plug or stopper.Bowlshaped separating-piece D (after cap E has been soldered in place)operates to maintain au open space, F, at the top ofthe can, to receivethe vapors and gases generated by the heat generated in preparing themeat. Scallops d d allow the free access of said vapors to said space;from which they, and the interior hot air with them, may be released byopening or making the aperture c in cap E.

When the hot air, vapor, and some portion of the fat is expelled throughsaid opening e', the same is sealed again, a wet sponge, ii'necessary,being used to prevent the' ingress of air during this operation. Whenthe can cools, the sides thereof will slightly collapse, Forcing themeat within up against the under face ot' disks or dat-plate D, so as tohold the guard C D firmly in its place.

But the most important part of my invention consists in the peculiarshape given to the can itself. In Fig. 3 the top ot' one olsaid cans isshown, and Fig. 5 gives an elevation ot' the same. The general shape ot'said can is nn inverted frustum of a regular pyramid which is octagonalin cross-section. The opening or vent for the introduction otl the meatis in the larger end A1, whence the can A tapers to its small end A2.Each otl the eight equal sides a ofthe said can is a long` trapezoid,having its two short sides parallel, and its two long sides inclinedtoward each other from the top to the bottom of the figure. The ridgesor corners a a', at the junction-linesof said trapezoids, add to thestrength of the can, which is braced the more 'tirinly as it moreclosely approaches a. shape that is circular in cross-section. It isnot,

however, essential that the can should be octagonal incross-section, asshown, as any other regular pyramidal shape falls within the scope of myinvention.

I am aware that fouresided tapering cans have been made and used; butthese are rounded at the corners, and hence will not pack closelytogether, as w-ill those of apyramida-l shape. I am also aware that canshave been used which are octagonal in cross-section, but do not taper.My cans have a great advantage in packing over these latter, since inthe former case the meat is forced from the large end down to the smallend, so that the shape of the can aids in compressing it. There areother advantages, also.

In packing the cans together for shipment, some areplaced with theirlarge ends upward, as shown in the drawings, and some are inverted.These positions alternate regularly, so that the whole body of cans tittightly together, economizing space.

Figs. 4 and 6 show a modification in which the can is shaped like thefrustum of an eight-sided pyramid, but the sides a are unequal. Thisform of can is not as convenient for packing as that previouslydescribed and hereinafter-claimed. Nevertheless, au eightsided pyramidalfrustum like that shown in its edges rounded o.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A meat-can in the shape of the frustum of a regular pyramid.

2. A vent-guard for a meat-can, consisting of at disk or plate O andbowl-shaped piece, scalloped in its edge at d d, substantially as setforth. y

3. The combination ot' ventguard C D, ianged cap E, and can-cover B,provided with a central opening and concentric groove and rim,substantially as set' forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my nameinthe presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. HOWARD.

Witnesses:

D. FOWLER, CHAs. E. FROST.

